Satellite-produced maps of Providence and Buffalo highlight the role that differences in development patterns and vegetation cover can have on the magnitude of a city's urban heat island. Though the two cities have the same approximate size, Buffalo has a significantly weaker heat island. The maps show visible light (far left), land surface temperatures (near left), density of development (right), and vegetation cover (far right).

Satellite-produced maps of Providence and Buffalo highlight the role that differences in development patterns and vegetation cover can have on the magnitude of a city's urban heat island. Though the two cities have the same approximate size, Providence has a significantly stronger heat island. The maps show visible light (far left), land surface temperatures (near left), density of development (right), and vegetation cover (far right).